Is this telling me what I think it is? Does this retro rod have a solid rear end? Why does everyone harp on the 05 Mustangs rear end and you hear so very little about the SSR's? I'm not saying it doesn't work well (I don't know) I'm just finding it an odd combination that this vehicle has a retractable hardtop and a solid rear end and is fairly heavy at 4,760 curb weight(my biggest beef with it). Ford had this going in 59.

Quote: Because of the extra mechanism required for the top’s operation, the retractable was the heaviest of the 59 Fords with a shipping weight a bit over two tons. Due to the extra weight, the cars could be ordered only with V-8 engines: anything from a 292/200 hp to a "Thunderbird" 352 rated at 300 bhp.

Knock off about 1,000 lbs, add a higher tech suspension, and with the Corvette engine, the SSR might be something desirable, otherwise just stuff a 350 in an old Chevy truck , fab in a Mustang II front suspension, don't forget the Ford 9 inch rear end, and all you lack is the retractable hardtop. Oh yeah, paint it yellow!

Chevy, I think the SSR is great looking, just a bit pricy for many peoples budgets. I think it would be great if they attempted to mass market it, to make it more affordable to build. In other words more like a Chevy Camaro than a Dodge Viper if you get my drift. I would also offer a model that doesn't have the removable hardtop which would help the affordablity and the weight. I think it started with 300 HP, but if it has 390 HP now it should be a real sweet heart. I really like the way it looks. Thinking about it, I suppose they could offer a version of the new HHR with a truck bed and a unique grill to cover the lower end of this market.

Yeah, I understand fully what you are saying. And I love the way the truck looks, but it is just too pricey, lol.

As for performance, some magazine tested it and got 13.80 in the 1/4, so that's pretty good considering it weighs more then a 1/2-ton single cab, 2WD truck, and "only" has 390 hp, lol.
Take a Ride on the Wild Side

Since it is a body on frame design, I wonder if they could shave the frame a bit considering that very few of these will be used as trucks. This really is a great vehicle, but 4000 lbs. Ouch! It seems like many new cars and trucks are growing in weight along with Americans waistlines.

It's right at 5,000 lbs with a driver and fuel. That is very heavy for a 2 seater of that size, no matter how much horsepower it has. Weight times speed equals inertia which hurts handling when weight equals 2 and 1/2 tons. I've owned 3/4 ton trucks that have weighed one hell of a lot less empty.

Beav, Roger that. Since this vehicle is probably not really used as a pickup, I wonder if they could build either a much lighter frame, or redesign it on a unibody platform. Unfortunately that would probably involve a complete redesign. I expect that deleting the bed cover and replacing the removable hardtop with a regular hardtop could benefit both weight and cost a bit.